# Change Flows file name in existing system
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589
**Category:** General
**Created:** [5 October 2022 09:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589 "2022-10-05T09:51:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@awneil](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/awneil)
#### Post date: [5 October 2022 09:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/1 "2022-10-05T09:51:33Z")
Continuing the discussion from [All my nodes and flows gone](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/all-my-nodes-and-flows-gone/1256/18):
> [@All my nodes and flows gone](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/all-my-nodes-and-flows-gone/1256/18):
>
> That can be achieved by just changing the settings.js template that gets copied over to new workspaces, no code changes required. Just uncomment flowFile: 'flows.json' by default. That will take effect only for new workspaces, and keep the existing ones untouched, as the settings.js is already there (and possibly customized).
So settings.js only effects a _ **new** _ workspace?
Is it possible to change the name for an _ **existing** _ workspace?
If so, how?
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [5 October 2022 09:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/2 "2022-10-05T09:59:44Z")
> So settings.js only effects a _ **new** _ workspace?
The flow file value in settings.js tells Node-RED what file to load the flows from. So I'm not sure what you mean here by 'only effects a new workspace'.
If you want Node-RED to use a different flow file, then change the value in settings.js and restart.
If you want to _rename_ your existing flows file, then rename it as you would any other file, change the value in settings.js so Node-RED knows about the new name and restart.
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### Author:  [@awneil](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/awneil)
#### Post date: [5 October 2022 10:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/3 "2022-10-05T10:07:05Z")
> [@knolleary](#):
>
> not sure what you mean here by 'only effects a new workspace'.
Just quoting what @kuema said in the old thread:
> [@All my nodes and flows gone](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/all-my-nodes-and-flows-gone/1256/18):
>
> That will take effect **only for new workspaces** , and keep the **existing ones untouched**
_(my emphasis)_
So I dunno - am I misunderstanding that? Is that wrong?
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [5 October 2022 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/4 "2022-10-05T10:13:29Z")
Ah right. That comment was in the context of a discussion around changing our old default behaviour of generating the flow file name based on hostname, versus having it hardcoded by default in the settings.js file you get when you first run Node-RED.
Since that discussion, we _did_ change the default settings.js file to have `flowFile`. Anyone who was already running Node-RED with an existing settings.js file would continue to use whatever flow file they had. But any new install of node-red would get the new settings.js file with `flowFile` set.
> [@awneil](#):
>
> Is it possible to change the name for an _ **existing** _ workspace?
> If so, how?
If you do not have `flowFile` in your settings file, then you can just add it and set the value to whatever you want it to be. Just make sure you rename the file to match so Node-RED finds it properly under the new name.
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### Author:  [@awneil](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/awneil)
#### Post date: [5 October 2022 15:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/5 "2022-10-05T15:53:15Z")
Thanks - that clears it up.
> [@knolleary](#):
>
> not sure what you mean here by 'only effects a new workspace'.
I should have said "only _affects_ workspace" 😖 🤦♂️
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [19 October 2022 15:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-flows-file-name-in-existing-system/68589/6 "2022-10-19T15:53:53Z")
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